Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!desnoyer
From: desnoyer@Apple.COM (Peter Desnoyers)
Newsgroups: comp.misc
Subject: Re: Structured Programming (shading into Computer Folklore)
Message-ID: <26640@apple.Apple.COM>
Date: 2 Mar 89 18:13:09 GMT
References: <16129@mimsy.UUCP> <447@lakart.UUCP>
Organization: Apple Computer Inc, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 44

In article <447@lakart.UUCP> dg@lakart.UUCP (David Goodenough) writes:
>Is there any _REAL_ difference between:
>
>	while (a < 25)
>	 {
>	    .....
>	 }
>AND:
>100	REM start "while A < 25" loop
>110	if A >= 25 then goto 200
>120	.....
>190	goto 110
>200	REM exit "while A < 25" loop
>

What about this:
	  ; start "while A < 25" loop
	L.16:
	  CMP  A,#25
	  JGE  L.17
	  ...
	  JMP  L.16 
	  ; end of "while A < 25" loop
	L.17:
	  ...

which you have to agree is equivalent to this :-)

		/* start "while A < 25" loop */
/* L.16 */
	C325	/* CMP A, #25 */
	F70030	/* JGE L.17 */
	...
	F00010	/* JMP L.16 */
		/* end of "while A < 25" loop */
/* L.17 */

It is possible to write large, well-documented programs in BASIC, and
to debug and maintain them. It is also possible to ride a moped on a
race course. In both cases you are using a tool for a purpose which it
was not designed for, expending a lot of effort to do that, and
taking longer to finish the job.

				Peter Desnoyers